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Sunday School in Review - During this Sunday Morning our Church was honored to have Terri Maclay, a representative for CURE Internation www.helpcurenow.org a local organization in Lemoyne PA. She spoke on their program Village of Protection a place where Massai women can find safety and protection in Narok, Kenya. This inspirational and hands on “show and tell” event was arrange for our combined adult Sunday School Program in Summer 2008. My wife Susanna asked to introduce her friend of many years and talked of their joint love of gardening along with the tragic lose of Terri’s husband who died of cancer a few years back. Gene and Terri had planned their retirement years together when he was taken from us; after which Terri found a Mission in Africa to participate in, to give her love and time to, God works in mysterious ways. If you are inclined to support this program donations will be accepted at CURE note on your check that the money is to support the “Village of Protection” program in Africa.

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When I saw that Mike and Lucretia were going to do an entire sermon series on grace, I was skeptical. How can they talk about that one subject for more than a couple weeks?

If you’ve heard more than a couple sermons in the series (and if you haven’t, you can hear what you missed here!), you know that there’s plenty to talk about. And to think about. And to pray about.

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The first Sunday in June marks the one-year anniversary of our 7:00 pm U-Turn Service at First Church.  I’ve been involved since week two, and it’s hard to believe almost a year has gone by since then.  If you have never been to a U-Turn service, then stop in and check it out soon.  Each service typically contains several segments of contemporary worship music, a time of sharing and prayer, and a Biblical teaching by one of our pastors. 

So what makes U-Turn so special?  What makes it “worth the extra trip” to church on a Sunday evening?

I think the thing that sets U-Turn apart from the Sunday morning services at First Church is the intimate atmosphere.  U-Turn is a much smaller and more informal service on many scales, including attendance.  However, this allows you to connect with others in worship in a much deepr way.  It also allows for more interactive teaching and sharing. 

So, if I haven’t run into you yet at a Sunday evening U-Turn service, I hope I’ll get the opportunity to do so soon!  See you at U-Turn!!!

Many Blessings,

Charlie Renner   

I remember a story that I heard of a woman who every Sunday made critical remarks about her pastor’s sermon or the service in general. One Sunday, on her way out of church, she shook hands with the pastor and said, “Pastor, what a great service this morning. During your sermon I had an epiphany. I want to thank you.” The pastor, quite pleased with the morning’s performance smiled at her and asked, “and what was it that left this impression on you?”, assuming it was some part of the sermon.

The woman smiled back and replied, “Oh, it had nothing to do with your sermon. I lost interest in that about half way through. So, I picked up the pew Bible and, leafing through, I found a verse that really spoke to me.”
“That’s wonderful,” the pastor responded. And the woman glided out into the sunshine.

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